Growth and salt accumulation capacity of the common ice plant in the tsunami-affected soil

Halophytes are salt-tolerant plant that grows naturally in saline areas where almost all conventional crops die due to NaCl toxicity. The common ice plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L., an annual halophyte native South Africa, tolerates high salinity levels and accumulates a shoot at level. To check the availability of for desalinization soils, we cultured soils collected from 16 sites located along coastal regions prefectures Miyagi Iwate, were attacked by tsunami disaster wake 2011 earthquake off Pacific coast Tohoku on 11 March 2011. In obtained some affected areas, growth was better than non-contaminated soil. factors associated with inhibition suggested be water ratio (an index content) soil permeability. plant’s estimated biological yield ranged 0.33 14.6 kg m−2, equivalent 2.3 101.7 t ha−1. sum Na+ Cl− about 9.5 g (31.8% dry weight basis), total amount these ions removed salinized 2.38 These results indicated could used as crop under tool ameliorating soils.